New Washington State Women’s Commission Seeks Board Members

May

02

The newly-established Washington State Women’s Commission is now accepting applications from individuals interested in working to address problems that contribute to inequality for women in the workplace and society. The commission was created as a result of House Bill 2759, sponsored by Rep. Beth Doglio, D-Olympia, during the 2018 legislative session.

“In 2018...We still have a long way to go towards women being full equals in our society, and treated with dignity and respect. My hope is for this Women’s Commission to help us reach those goals sooner,” said Doglio.

The Women’s Commission is tasked with a number of duties including:

· reviewing best practices for sexual harassment policies and training, and providing recommendations to state agencies;

· identifying and defining specific needs of women of color;

· consulting with state agencies regarding the effect of agency policies, rules, and practices on the unique problems and needs of women;

· staffing the Interagency Committee for State Employed Women;

· preparing for a 2020 statewide commemoration of women’s suffrage;

· holding public hearings to gather input related to the unique problems and needs of women;

· advocating for the removal of legal and social barriers for women; and

· reviewing and recommending strategies to increase the number of women serving on for-profit boards;

· make regular recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor based on their research, deliberations, and public input.

The commission will have 13 members: four state lawmakers (one from each caucus) and nine members appointed by the governor that consists of a balanced and diverse distribution of ethnic, geographic, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, and occupational representation. The goal is to have all commission members appointed and official meetings on the calendar by July 1, 2018. For more information complete an application or recommend an applicant, follow this link